Seam-opening device



March 31, 1931. GARDNER 1,799,132

SEAM OPENING DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r1 J r. |NVENT OR WITNESSES "k9 Pal-c3] Gur'dnPr I M I :3: N V I I W g 50 7 I 25 ATTORNEY March 31; 1931. p GARDNER 1,799,132

- SEAM OPENING DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Percy Gardner BY WITNESSES ATTORN EY Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PERCY GARDNER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO E. M. BUNKER & 00., INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK BEAM-OPENING nnvrcE Application filed January 26, 1928. Serial No. 249,788.

v This invention relates to seam guides for stitched seams formed on sewing machines and has particular reference to an improved seam guide and pressing means for use in connection with a tubular-fabric-forming machine such as disclosed in my prior United States Letters Patent Reissue No. 16,517.

In the prior patent referred to the edges of the material were first stitched together to form a seam, the free edges of the seam ex tending beyond the line of stitches, being subsequently spread or opened by a suitable opening device and subsequently pressed against the material to lie flat. In practice 16 it has been observed that the seam-opening means employed failed of its purpose due to the fact that both free edges of the seam would at times extend over or under the opening device. In order to overcome this defect, at the present invention comprehends a guide which is so constructed as to be disposed between the edges of the material prior to the stitching operation and thereafter until the seam edges have been efiectually pressed down in their opened up condition.

The invention furthermore contemplates a seam guide which in addition to effecting the opening up and pressing back of the free edges of the seam against the body of the material, includes means for offsetting the seam from the edge of the tubular material thus formed, so that the material will be rolled up on a suitable take-oil mechanism with the seam in a flattened out condition.

Uther objects reside in the comparative simplicity of construction and mode of use of the seam-guiding means, the economy with which the same may be produced and associated with the machine, and the general efficiency derived therefrom.

With the above recited and other objects in view, reference is had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which there is exhibited one example or embodimentof the invention, while the appended claims define the actual scope of the invention.

In thedrawings o0 Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the seam-guiding means associated with the machine;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of one of the seamguiding elements;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view taken approximately on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the seam-guiding element illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the seamguidmg element illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 99 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 1d is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 1010 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 11-11 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken approximatel on the line 12-12 of Fig. 1.

Re erring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designates the baseor bed of the machine, B the presser foot, C the needle 2nd D atrimming knife carried by the presser oot.

The sewing machine is supported on a suitable table 15 which supports an arm 16 over which and under which the. upper and lower folds or plies E and F of the material are fed by an operator. The arm is provided with a laterally rojecting ortion 17 having a forward kni e edge 18 'sposed slightly in rear of the presser foot B. The free outer side edge 19 of the portion 17 is disposed in substantial alinement with the needle. In rear of this point the side edge 19 merges into a laterally angularly disposed edge 20, thence into a straight edge 21 which merges into an angularly disposed inwardly inclined edge 22, and thence into a straight edge 23 which is disposed in substantial alinement with the edge 19. The portion 17 from the forward knife edge 18 of the arm 16 to the angular side edge 20 thereof, is of graduall increasing thickness which terminates in a t 'ckness cortion 21 is laterally and outward y ofiset with respect to the straight edge portions 19 and 23 of the arm. A secondarm or seam guide 24 having depending bosses 25 is attached by any suitable fastening means such as screws 26, to the bed or base A of the machine, and the said guide element 24 is provided ad acent its forward end with a substantially arcuate notch or cutaway portion 27 in the inner side edge. The forward end of the element 24 is provided with a laterally projecting wedge-shaped terminal 28 which projects laterally beyond the remaining double beveled or V-shaped edge 29 which latter edge is disposed parallel to the edge 19 of the arm 16 and in substantial alinement with the needle C of the machine. A guide wire place by clamping devices 31, allowing for its removal and re lacement when worn. The rear reduced en 32 of the element 24 is laterally ofiset to define a laterally inclined edge 33 which coincides with the edge 20 and which merges at its forward end in the edge 29. The free terminal or top of the reduced end 32 merges from the double inclined or V- shaped edge 33 into a vertical flat face 34 of a width slightly greater than the combined width of the free edges of the seam. The arm 16 is provided in longitudinally spaced relation along the edge 21 with a plurality of rollers 35 and coincident therewith corresponding longitudinally spaced rollers 36 are suitably supported to coact with the rollers 35.

In use and operation, the upper and lower folds of a single piece of material which is centrally longitudinally folded, or the upper and lower layers of two strips of material E and F, are trained under and over the forward portion of the-arm 16, thence under a guide G on the base or bed A of the machine. the side edges being brought into alinement and the upper and lower layers are then respectively trained over and under the terminal 28 and over and under the guide wire or rod 30 where they are finally engaged under the presser foot B to be stitched together by the needle C in the usual manner. Subsequent to the stitching operation, the trimming knife D trims the free laterally projecting edges 'H' as close as possible to the guide wire or rod 30. From this point the seam is guided by the wire or rod 30 on to the edge 29 and between said edge 29 of the ele- '17 rearwardly, functions to o 11 up that portion of the material immediately within the line of stitching. Through the medium of the edge 20 of the arm 16 and the edge 33 of the element 24, the seam is deflected laterally in its path of movement to relieve the material of any pulling strain and during its passage over the rear terminal edge 34 the free edges-of the seam are flattened out against the body of thematerial as illustrated clearly in Fig. 10. From this point the flattened free edges of the seam are pressed between the rollers 35 and 36 and due to the inwardly inclined edge 22 and offset edge 23 of the arm the seam is brought from the side edge of the material within the confines of the width so that when the material is taken off and rolled up on a suitable take-ofi mechanism, the seam will lie flat in the convolutions thus formed. Under this construction and arrangement it is obvious that due to the fact that the edges of the material prior to their stitching have engaged therebetween a guide, positive spreadin and openin of the free edges of the seam is effected by the device to more effectually open up and press down the seam.

'What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a sewing machine including stitching and feeding mechanisms for joining the edges of material by a stitched seam, of a. member disposed inside of the line of stitching having a leading edge in alinement with the stitching mechanism, a following edge oflset inwardly with respect thereto. and a laterally inclined edge joining the leading and following edges, seam-opening means engaging between the free edges of the seam outside of the line of stitching and disposed alongside of the laterally inclined edge to co-operate therewith in effecting the opening up of the portions of material inside of the line of stitching and the opening up of the free edges of the seam against said portions, said seam-opening means including an element extending forwardly and alongside of the stitching mechanism and in advance thereof, over and under which element the edges of the material are trained and guided prior to the stitching operation.

2. The combination with a sewing machine including stitching and feeding mechanisms for joining the edges of material by a stitched seam, of a member disposed inside of the line of stitching having a leading edge in alinement with the stitching mechanism a following edge oifsetinwardly with respect the leading and following edges, a seamopening and guiding device disposed outside of the line of stitching, consisting of an arm having an edge portion disposed parallel to the leading edge of said member and a-laterally inclined edge portion extending parallel to the laterally inclined edge of said member, the said latter edge portion of said arm having outwardly converging faces merging into a rear vertically faced side edge for engaging between and opening up the free edges of the seam outside of the line of stitching and co-operating with the edges of said member for effecting the opening up of the portion of the material inside of the line of stitching.

3. The combination with a sewing machine including stitching and feeding mechanisms for joining the edges of material by a stitched seam, of a member disposed inside of the line of stitching having a leading edge in alinement with the stitching mechanism, a following edge offset inwardly with respect thereto, and a laterally inclined edge joining the leading and followingedges, a seam-opening and guiding device disposed outside of t e line of stitching, consisting of an arm having an edge portion disposed parallel to the leading edge of said member and a laterally inclined edge portion extending parallel to the laterally inclined edge of said member, the said latter edge portion of said arm having outwardly converging faces merging into a rear vertically faced side edge, said converging faces engaging between the free edges of the seam outside of the line of stitching to open up said edges and said vertically faced side edge of the arm cooperating with the laterally inclined edge of the member for respectively effecting the pressing of the edges in flat contact with a portion of the material inside of the line of stitching, and an element extending forwardly from the seam opening and guiding means to appoint in advance of the stitchin mechanism to afford means over and un er which the edges of the material are trained and guided prior to the stitching operation.

4. The combination with a sewing machine including stitching and feeding mechanisms for joining the ed es of materials by a stitched seam of a mem er disposed inside of the line of stltching havin front and rear side ed es in alinement wit the stitching mechamsm, an inwardly offset edge with respect to the first-mentioned ed es, and laterally inclined edges joining t e offset edge with the front and rear side edges seam- 60 o ening means engaging between the free e' ges of the seam outside of the line of stitching anddis sed alongside of the laterally inclined e gei which 'oins the offset and forward side e ges sai seam-o ning means co-operating with the inclined edge to effect the opening up of portions of the material inside of the line of stitching and the opening up of the free edges of the seam against said portions, the rear side edge and inclined portion constituting means for off setting the finished opened seam with respect to the edge of the material for the purpose specified.

5. The combination with a sewing machine including stitching and feeding mechanism for joining the edges of materials by a stitched seam, of a member disposed inside of the line of stitching having a leading edge in alinement with the stitching mechanlsm, a following edge offset inwardly with respect thereto, and a laterally inclined edge joining the leading and following edges, seam-opening means engaging between the free edges of the seam outside of the line of stitching and disposed alongside of the laterally inclined edge to co-operate therewith in elfecting the opening up of the portions of material inside of the line of stitchin and the opening up of the free edges 0 the seam against said portions, said seam-opening means including an element extending" forwardly and alongside of the stitchin mechanism and in advance thereof, over an under which element the edges of the material are trained and Cguided prior to the stitching operation, sai seam-opening means having a forwardly projecting extension with its inner edge cut away from a point in advance to a point in rear of the. stitching mechanism, and an element extending across said cutaway portion and disposed forwardly and alongside of the stitching mechanism and in advance thereof, whereby the edges of the material are trained and guided over and under said element prior to, during and subsequent to the stitching operation.

"Signedat New York in the county of New 7 York and State'of 'NewiYork this 23rd day of January A. 192 i ,1 PERCY G'ARDNER2- 1 

